Introducing the Union Pearson Express
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Introducing the Union Pearson Express: It's a changing world and a perfect opportunity for Ontario to shine. A time to leverage our considerable assets as one of the world’s most desirable regions. If we navigate this passage successfully, building towards such milestones as the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, this will be remembered as a time in which we pivoted toward long-term prosperity. It is within this context, that one of Ontario’s bold moves will be the air rail link. The Union Pearson Express will heal a stress point for those who live in Ontario and for those who come to visit: The anxiety of a journey between downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson Airport on the Gardiner Expressway. The Union Pearson Express will completely transform the Toronto-Pearson travel experience. Our state of the art train shuttle will run from Union Station to Toronto Pearson every 15 minutes. 7 days a week. Swiftly. Elegantly. Efficiently. It’s not simply the quickest way to catch a flight. It’s also the most comfortable, most reliable and most relaxing. From the moment you transition from the hustle and bustle into the serenity of the Union Pearson Express, spirits are lifted, anxieties set at ease. There’s a new sense of flow to your travel. The lounge is an oasis with a distinct airside feel, designed with savvy air travelers in mind it’s where schedules are forgotten and adventures begin. The train’s interiors create the mood of a beautifully appointed aircraft cabin enlivened with the unmistakable spirit of Ontario’s natural beauty. Staff and service deliver to unexpectedly high standards. The Union Pearson Express is first and foremost a solution. A long-awaited and much-needed service for our residents and our visitors alike. But it is also an undeniable symbol of our province’s own journey towards progress and prosperity. The Union Pearson Express elevates our position as a region, a proof point of our city’s significance as a player on the world stage. And it will come to represent Ontario’s welcoming spirit and emerging importance to millions. Our calling card to the world. We are, indeed, up and away.
UP EXPRESS: TRAIN FACTS OVERVIEW THE JOURNEY • UP Express will get travellers to and from the • The trains begin their journey from the port of airport in 25 minutes, with trains departing every Toyohashi, Japan. 15 minutes. • They travel by ship through the Panama Canal and • There will be a total of 18 UP Express train cars. are docked in Savannah, Georgia. • UP Express trains can operate as three-car or two-car • From there, they ride on flatbed rail cars to the consists (the set of cars forming a complete train) to assembly facility in Rochelle, Illinois near Chicago. accommodate peak travel times and provide flexibility • They are then towed by rail to their final for service and maintenance. A three-car consist will destination, the VIA Toronto Maintenance Centre accommodate up to 173 seated passengers. (TMC) plant in Toronto. • This will accommodate approximately 140 trips per • This is a total trek of roughly 20,000 km. day between Union Station and Toronto Pearson • The first set of UP Express vehicles departed International Airport. Toyohashi, Japan in March, 2014 and arrived in • The vehicles are being supplied by Sumitomo Toronto in mid-August. Corporation of America. • The remaining trains will be arriving on a • Manufacturing of the vehicles began January 2013 cascading basis over the following months, with the in Toyokawa, Japan. last set expected to arrive in early 2015. • The first set of UP Express vehicles arrived in Toronto in mid-August.
AMENITIES INTERESTING FACTS
• The trains are fully accessible and have been • Each train car weighs 165,000 lbs (empty).
designed with the comfort and convenience of • Each train car measures approximately 26m in
guests in mind. length, 3.2m in width and 4.4m in height.
• Trains will be equipped with convenient amenities • UP Express platforms are higher than traditional
including: GO Train platforms. Unlike GO Trains and
• WiFi platforms – where passengers have to step up and
• Flight disruption information into the vehicle – the UP Express platform is higher
• Overhead luggage storage to enable level boarding between the train and the
• Luggage racks at access doors platform – allowing for travellers to easily wheel
• Space for oversize baggage their luggage off/on.
• Power outlets
• Tray table on seat backs
• Toronto events information
GETTING THE TRAINS READY
• The first set of UP Express trains underwent
preliminary high and low speed testing in Rochelle,
Illinois in July, 2014.
• In the fall, the trains will undergo comprehensive
testing and commissioning at the VIA TMC plant
in Toronto and along various rail corridors.
• Testing and commissioning will ensure that the trains
are able to operate safely and effectively and includes:
general inspection of the train cars, clearance testing
(in and around the stations and maintenance facilities),
speed testing, brake performance, signal testing, and
platform screen door testing.
• Testing and commissioning is expected to happen
along the Lakeshore, Kitchener and possibly the The First UP Express Pilot Train.
Barrie corridor during off-peak hours.
TECHNOLOGY
• UP Express trains are newly designed and
manufactured Tier 4 diesel multiple units (DMUs).
• UP Express will be the first rail service in North
America to use Tier 4 diesel which reduces
airborne particulate emissions by 90 per cent and
nitrogen oxides by 80 per cent compared to the
existing technology.
• Designed with future opportunities in mind, UP
Express vehicles will be convertible to electric
propulsion.
• Metrolinx has committed to the electrification
of UP Express as a first priority in its future
electrification plans. Preliminary Testing in Rochelle, Illinois.
Union Pearson Express: Frequently Asked Questions What is the Union Pearson Express? The Union Pearson Express is an express rail service connecting Canada’s busiest transportation hubs, Union Station in downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson International Airport. Construction is already underway, and is expected to be complete in 2015. When can I ride the Union Pearson Express? The Union Pearson Express will be ready to carry our first guests in time for Toronto to host the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in the summer of 2015. Will I be able to use my PRESTO card on the Union Pearson Express? Yes. Because we want to make travel easy for our guests, the Union Pearson Express will use a wide array of ticket purchase options including PRESTO. Why does Toronto need a shuttle between the airport and downtown? The Union Pearson Express will address a significant gap in airport-to-downtown travel in Toronto. Each year an estimated five million people travel between downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson International Airport. With this number expected to grow to nine million by 2020, the Union Pearson Express is expected to remove 1.2 million car trips annually while offering a critical transit alternative for quick and easy access to Toronto’s downtown core and Toronto Pearson. How long will the trip between Union Station and Toronto Pearson be on the Union Pearson Express? Each one-way trip on the Union Pearson Express will take approximately 25 minutes. With vehicles departing every 15 minutes, the Union Pearson Express will be the fastest and most reliable means to the airport. Where will the Union Pearson Express stop? In addition to Union Station and Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson, the Union Pearson Express will only make two additional stops at Bloor and Weston GO Stations. How much will a trip on the Union Pearson Express cost? As it’s still a few years from launch, the fare has not yet been set. The Union Pearson Express however will be priced competitively and offer value to its guests.
-2- Who operates the Union Pearson Express? The Union Pearson Express is a division of Metrolinx, the Province’s regional transportation agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Who is supplying the trains for the Union Pearson Express? Trains for the Union Pearson Express have been purchased from the Nippon Sharyo, a division of Sumitomo Corporation of America. They are currently being manufactured. The first vehicle is expected to arrive in early 2014. What type of trains will the Union Pearson Express use? The vehicles will be Tier-4 diesel multiple units (DMUs). These vehicles are convertible units, and therefore can be converted to electric propulsion and continue to service the Union Pearson Express, if a decision is made to move forward with electrifying the service. For more information about Metrolinx’s electrification project currently underway, please visit www.gotransit.com/electrification Is a new rail line being built for the Union Pearson Express? The Union Pearson Express will share GO’s Georgetown/Kitchener corridor, and construction on the Georgetown South Project began in fall 2010. In addition to supporting the Union Pearson Express, this construction will also provide infrastructure improvements – including future all-day, two-way service – to meet existing GO Transit ridership demand and future growth on the Kitchener line (formerly the Georgetown line), Milton line and Barrie line. Construction on the three-kilometre rail spur, which will connect the Kitchener line to a new passenger station at Toronto Pearson's Terminal 1, began in spring 2012. For more information about the Georgetown South Project, please visit www.gotransit.com/gts/ How will the Union Pearson Express connect to Toronto Pearson? A purpose-built elevated spur track is being constructed to link from the shared rail corridor to bring guests directly to Terminal 1 at Toronto Pearson. The spur track is about 3 km long and is 28 meters at the highest point. The spur is being constructed by AirLINX. If you require additional information, or would like to arrange an interview, please contact our media relations team at: 1-416-874-5974 or 1-416-874-5945.
UNION PEARSON EXPRESS
GO B arrie
ROUTE MAP
GO K i
tchen
er
WESTON
TORONTO PEARSON
BLOOR
on t
UNION STATION
Mi
lt e Wes
k eshor
GO GO L a
upexpress.com
UP EXPRESS WILL TRANSFORM TRAVEL
BETWEEN DOWNTOWN TORONTO AND
TORONTO PEARSON
Extending the travel experience from plane-to-train, this
transport connection shows The Big Move in action.
Metrolinx has been entrusted to design, own and operate
one of the most anticipated — and important — transportation
projects in Ontario.
CONNECTING CANADA’S TWO
BUSIEST TRANSPORTATION HUBS
UP Express will fill a significant
gap in airport-to-downtown
travel and serve as a catalyst
for regional economic
growth and development.
2015
PACKED WITH FEATURES LAUNCHING IN
TO ENSURE YOUR COMFORT SPRING 2015
Amenities will include WiFi, This will be in
power outlets, luggage time for the Pan
racks, flight information, Am and Parapan
Toronto events information and Am Games.
airline check-in kiosks.
A WELCOME CHANGE
From the moment guests transition
into the comfort of UP Express, spirits will
be lifted and anxieties set at ease.
TIME BETWEEN UNION STATION DEPARTING EVERY
AND TORONTO PEARSON 15 MINUTES
It will take only 25 traffic-free minutes Leaving from Union Station
to make the end-to-end journey. and Toronto Pearson, trains
will also briefly stop at
Bloor and Weston stations.
90 15 min
80
70
60
50
Minutes
40
TAKING THE HIGH LINE
30 Soaring above traffic, the elevated tracks will
20
reach 28m above ground at their highest point.
10
0
Union Subway Shuttle Taxi Limo
Pearson Bus
Express
UP EXPRESS IS EXPECTED TO
REMOVE APPROXIMATELY 1.2
MILLION CAR TRIPS IN ITS FIRST
YEAR OF SERVICE
ROOTED IN A GUEST- CENTRIC BRANCHING OFF THE GO
EXPERIENCE KITCHENER RAIL CORRIDOR
UP Express will serve an estimated A 3 km connection spur has been
5,000 travellers per day. built to link directly to Terminal 1 at
Toronto Pearson.
GO K it
c hener
FOR A QUICK AND COMFORTABLE
JOURNEY, WHETHER YOU’RE HEADING
OUT, STOPPING BY OR COMING HOME,
THE ONLY WAY IS UP!
An Agency of the Government Ontario
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